Along with Wednesday's announcement that the first U.S. plant for Atlas BX is coming, Clarksville-Montgomery County's business ties to South Korean industry continue to strengthen, as does its appeal as a preferred site for automotive suppliers.

Atlas BX, a sister company to Hankook Tire, will build a plant in the Corporate Business Park in a $75 million investment, that will mean an additional 200 jobs in Montgomery County.

The Korean company which makes car batteries expects to open the local manufacturing facility in 2020. The Atlas BX plant will be located on a 40-acre pad-ready site along International Boulevard.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Atlas officials made the announcement Wednesday morning at Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Clarksville.

“Our central location and business-friendly environment continue to make Tennessee the perfect place for manufacturing companies to locate operations," Haslam said. "I appreciate Atlas BX for creating approximately 200 jobs in Montgomery County and this investment is one more example of how Tennessee will lead in the creation of high-quality jobs.”

About Atlas BX

Atlas BX is a manufacturer of storage batteries primarily in South Korea. It produces batteries for traditional passenger cars, light trucks, electric vehicles, commercial vehicles, boats and recreational vehicles, according to a news release.

Established in 1944, it exports to about 120 countries and currently operates two manufacturing plants in South Korea, which is also the location of its global headquarters office.

Its sister company, Hankook Tire, opened its $800 million tire manufacturing plant in Clarksville in October 2017. Another South Korean company, LG Electronics, currently has a phase 1, $250 million washing machine plant under construction in Corporate Business Park North.

“Tennessee is known for its intelligent, hard-working population,” Ho Youl Pae, CEO of Atlas BX, said. “Clarksville’s thriving economy and skilled work force appealed to our company and led to this decision, which we believe will allow our company to experience significant growth.”

The company will produce approximately 2.4 million batteries per year in Clarksville, with a dedicated Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) line, a high-performance battery for start-stop vehicles.

Atlas BX also maintains a headquarters office in Nashville that was established in 2017.

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The 40-acre site that will be home to the Atlas BX battery plant in Clarksville.(Photo: Jimmy Settle/The Leaf-Chronicle)

Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe said economic connections are growing between Tennessee and South Korea.

“Our department places a strong emphasis on foreign direct investment, and South Korean companies continue to be a great partner,” Rolfe said. “Today, more than 3,000 Tennesseans are employed by South Korean companies, representing a private capital investment in excess of $1 billion.”

Mike Evans, executive director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council, called Atlas BX "a good company."

"We worked with them for about nine months in landing this project," he said.

When asked about any possible environmental concerns from the battery manufacturing process, Evans said, any such concerns have already been reviewed by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation.

"TDEC concluded through extensive air modeling that the AtlasBX environmental impact was safe and well within its stringent limits, as well as federal regulations," Evans said.

Following the Atlas BX announcement, Clarksville-Montgomery County now has about 650 developable acres remaining available to any future new industry. Of that 650 acres, probably the largest single tract currently available is about 150 acres, Evans said.

Reach Business Editor Jimmy Settle at 931-245-0247 and on Twitter @settle_leaf.